Premio Combat Prize

Born in London, Annamarie Dzendrowskyj originally trained as a classical ballet dancer before completing a degree in Philosophy at Lancaster University, UK, followed by a career as a Scuba Diving Instructor and Examiner for PADI Asia Pacific. She studied Fine Art at the National Art School in Sydney, Australia, where she was awarded a BA Degree with Honours in Painting in 2011. She is currently based in London and travels when possible in search of new inspiration.
Annamarie seeks to explore and paint that ambiguous ‘grey area’ between presence and absence in atmospheric and haunting landscapes. Her images evoke a kind of netherworld that conflates time, place vision, and memory. Life as a scuba diving instructor informs her ‘eye’ resulting in work that reflects the experience of underwater vision. Everything seen is affected by movement, light and weather conditions and in this sense, nothing appears clearly defined.

The starting points for her are digital images shot through the window of a moving car or bus, often when misted with rain or condensation. Distancing and isolating herself through the device of the window glass or camera lens from physical immersion in a location. The images are translated into oil paintings, and explore the tension between figuration and abstraction and the way in which the viewer understands or perceives time and place.
The portrayal of light and surface considerations are key to the sense of presence and absence in Annamarie’s subtle but complex works.
Annamarie’s work has been displayed in solo and group exhibitions, received a number of art prizes and her work is held in both public and private collections.